* Canadian dollar at C$1.3084, or 76.43 U.S. cents
* Bond prices lower across steeper maturity curve
TORONTO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened
against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday as oil rose, but gains
were restrained as investors braced for the Bank of Canada
interest rate decision.
The central bank on Wednesday is expected to hold interest
rates at 0.50 percent as it waits to see how the economic
bounce-back it is anticipating in the second half of the year
unfolds. Analysts will look to see if the central bank trims its
economic forecasts.
U.S. crude prices were up 1.23 percent at $50.91 a
barrel, boosted by evidence of declining production in China and
falling U.S. inventories, while an upbeat OPEC statement on its
planned output cut also supported the market.
Oil is one of Canada's major exports.
Gains for the loonie came as equity market volatility fell.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which is a measure of expected
volatility in stock prices, fell 1.6 percent.
At 9:19 a.m. EDT (1319 GMT), the Canadian dollar
was trading at C$1.3084 to the greenback, or 76.43 U.S. cents,
stronger than Tuesday's close of C$1.3119, or 76.23 U.S. cents.
The currency's strongest level of the session was C$1.3075,
while its weakest was C$1.3129.
On Tuesday, the loonie touched its strongest in nearly three
weeks at C$1.3051.
China reported its economy expanded at a steady 6.7 percent
in the third quarter, as expected.
China is Canada's second-largest trading partner.
Canadian government bond prices were lower across the yield
curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries. The two-year
fell 1 Canadian cent to yield 0.594 percent and the benchmark
10-year declined 22 Canadian cents to yield 1.218
percent.
The curve steepened as the spread between the 2-year and
10-year yields widened by 1.9 basis points to 62.4 basis points,
indicating underperformance for longer-dated bonds.
(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Will Dunham)